Chance meeting
by NalaStormhunter
Summary: The Doctor visits the Thames one more time. Spoilers for Journey's end.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Doctor Who or any of its characters. They all belong to the BBC, no copyright infringement intended.

**Author notes:** This was written for the following Prompt from the lj community doctordonna:

_The Doctor and Donna meet once more on the Banks of the Thames._

It was a cool Autumn night in London that saw the Doctor sitting on the banks of the Thames, staring at the flood barriers. A year had passed since he was forced to wipe Donna's memories, and two years since he stood on top of that flood barrier with her as they realized they had drained the Thames to stop the Racnoss. He smiled at the memory of the two them, both soaked to the bone, Donna in her ruined wedding dress and he in his rumbled brown suit, laughing at the absurdity of the situation.

He remembered asking her to come with him then. Partially out of fear of being alone, but mostly because he genuinely liked Donna. Despite their rocky start, he thought he had found in her someone who could help heal his broken hearts. But she said no, and he had gone off alone that Christmas night, traveling alone until meeting Martha Jones.

Then, under almost impossibly high odds, he found her again. Or rather, she found him. Spent the time since he left and meeting at Adipose Industries trying to find him again. And she wanted to travel with him. No strings attached, no looking at him like some god on a pedestal or perfect man. She saw him as the best mate she always wanted, and that he desperately needed.

If he had known then what would happen to his brilliant Donna, he never would have let her come on board the Tardis. He would have convinced her she was needed on earth. Hell, if it got her to stay safe, he would have left her the number to Martha's old Mobile and they would work together to protect the earth. Anything that would have prevented what happened. Getting to experience all that she had and the wonders of the universe, only to have it ripped away by a thief in the night, who just happened to be her best friend. It was just one more thing in the long lists of things that made him hate himself.

If only there had been more time! He could have come up with something that would have allowed Donna to live AND keep all her memories. He knew what was going to happen, and even as the signs of the metacrisis showing themselves appeared, he wished for more time. She promised him forever, and just once, he wanted to meet a companion who could give him just that. Even if forever meant the span of sixty years, he didn't care anymore. The Doctor just wanted his best mate back.

The area where he sat was all but deserted this time of night, so he heard the sound of footsteps before the person was actually in view. He didn't look away from the river. He was in no mood for any kind of disruption, and hopefully this person was in the mood and would keep walking by.

There would be no such luck tonight, though, as the footsteps came closer, and eventually stopped just beside him. "Oh, hello. Not used to seeing someone out here at this time of night," the stranger said, "especially since it's so bleeding cold." He whirled to look up at the stranger, because she 

was in fact no stranger at all. He met the eyes of the ginger haired woman he thought he would never see again. He must have been staring, because she crossed her arms and glared at him, "Are you quite finished, or do I need to smack some sense into you, mate?" She tilted her head sideways. "You're Mr. Smith aren't you?"

He found his voice again as he shook his head to stop staring. "What?"

"You're that man that was at my mum's house the day everyone was blathering on about earth being abducted by aliens. You introduced yourself as Mr. Smith."

He nodded. "Yep, that's me. I was checking on your mum and gramps after…well, I suppose you wouldn't believe me if I told you. I didn't think you'd really notice me. You seemed…a bit preoccupied." He hoped she didn't notice the crack in his voice or how he couldn't quite meet her eyes. "Old friend of your mum's, before you ask. Go way back, Sylvia and i?"

"Yeah, like I'm gonna believe that for a minute. You're too young. And skinny. I mean, Christ, do you ever eat?" She said, sitting down next to him, looking out over the Thames.

"Oi! I eat. I just have a really high metabolism, and I moisturize." He tried grinning when he felt like running. He knew every minute he spent talking to her was one more minute closer to her remembering. He thought back to the first thing she said to him. "I've always liked the cold. It doesn't bother me. Why are you out here, dressed like—" _Like you just landed on a Snow Planet inhabited by Ood._ "like it's the middle of winter?"

She shrugged. "it's my favorite coat, and I like coming out to the Thames on my nights off. It gives me a place to think."

"Bit far from Chiswick, isn't it?"

Donna laughed. "Oh, I moved out on my own a few months after Christmas last year. It snowed then, did you see? A real proper snow. I got this great job, permanent, at a travel agency. No more temping for me, I decided. I wanted to get out there, see the world. Walk in the dust."

"That's brilliant. You are brilliant, Donna." He smiled. He was happy to hear that she was living a fantastic life, although a selfish part wanted her to be as miserable as he was without her.

"Donna Noble, Super Travel Agent, that's me. I got employee of the month a few months back, and an all expense paid trip to Egypt. It was better this time around. No package tour, I could come and go as I pleased. Still no drinking of the water, but then, no surprise there, but I remembered to bring bottled water from home this time." She looked down at her watch. "Well, I should be getting home. I have work in the morning." She stood up, and the Doctor stood up with her. She smiled at him. "It was good to see you again, Mr. Smith."

"You too, Donna Noble, you too." _More than you will ever know._ "Would you like me to walk you back to your flat?"

She gave him an odd smile. "No, I think I can find my own way from here, thank you." She gave him a bit of a salute and headed off.

The Doctor stood staring that Thames for what felt like an eternity, gearing up the energy to go back to the empty Tardis. His feet trudged along the path, his hearts heavier than when he left Donna the first time. He stroked the blue painted wood of the ole police box. His one companion he could never lose. Digging out his key, he unlocked the Doors.

"Took you long enough, did it?"

The Doctor stood there, gaping. Donna Noble was leaning on the ramp railing, looking impatient and grinning in a self-satisfied way. "What?"

"Oh, you are telling me you didn't catch ANY of the hints I dropped? The snow? The first trip to Egypt? Walking in the Dust?"

"What?!"

And she laughed. "You great big Space Dunce. Did you really think it would be that easy to get rid of me? I told you forever, and I meant it." She walked over to him, and punctuated her next sentence with a series of smacks to his arm. "Don't…Go…Leaving…Me…Behind!"

"WHAT?!"


End file.
